


My Favourite Thing on the Citadel

by madlibs



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, I just needed some fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-18
Updated: 2015-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-31 01:59:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3960157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlibs/pseuds/madlibs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After defeating the Collectors, Shepard is dropping her crew off on the Citadel before turning herself over to the Alliance. She takes a moment to play with the advertisements with Garrus only for them both to get a surprise</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Favourite Thing on the Citadel

One of Shepard’s actual favourite things on the Citadel was the personalized advertisements that played when she walked past. When not in a rush, of course, she always stopped, folded her arms and snickered as the cylinders glitched through their set script, trying to make sense of where a dead Spectre fit into its algorithm. More often than not it was a good chuckle between errands, and a chance to chat with her squad who was tagging along. She’d even managed to get a high five out of Jack when the ad couldn’t even give a name for her, which Shepard suspected would be the first and possibly last time the kid let her guard down around her for quite some time. Luckily with how prickly some people had been since she’d been resurrected, so to speak, she’d learned not to take it personally.

Now though, it was finally downtime. The Collectors were beat, she’d cut ties with Cerberus, and was handing herself and the Normandy over to the alliance. For now though, they were docked at the Citadel, making repairs to get back to Earth, and dropping off as much crew as they could to spare anyone else the questioning she and Joker were going to be dealing with over the next few months as they were christened back into the marines. The thought of that happy welcome was enough to get her out on the Citadel to enjoy the station at least once more before things got stressful. 

Which, to no one's surprise, is how she ended up mindlessly pressing the button on the ad kiosk and chuckling to herself. She hardly even noticed the view or the bustle or other things she loved about the wards, which also meant she didn’t notice Garrus come up behind her until he pat her shoulder. Shock snapped her to attention, but Garrus’s chuckle at her was enough to soften her stance and fold her arms, “Don’t you know it's dangerous to surprise an old woman?”

He leaned against the rapid transit railing, his mandibles flicking in what she’d come to learn was amusement as he chuckled at her again, “Yes well, I had to make sure you hadn’t gone senile and were looking for the meaning of life in cheesy invasive advertisements on the street”

Shepard grinned at that, shaking her head and looking at the now empty blue projection cylinder, “Hey, they can’t be invasive when there’s no information. I just get glitches, skips and weird funeral ads” she tapped the button again and, as if on cue, the asari burial robes ad played. She pointed victoriously at it, looking to Garrus again, “See! Dead women leave no trace!”

He laughed, nodding that she was right, “I suppose they have no information to steal from you then; you’re the safest woman on the Citadel” she almost snorted in disbelief, “okay, your information is the safest on the citadel. You’re the best kept secret”

She gave him a joking, disapproving look, “They probably don’t have anything on you either, Archangel” she teased and he rolled his eyes as she tapped the ad again, getting the volus merchant who was much too long winded for her taste, “When I woke up even Cerberus couldn’t find you, what’s the cruel grip of consumerism going to get from you?”

“You would be surprised,” Garrus reached over and tapped the ad himself this time to indulge Shepard, and an ad for a Turian restaurant began to play. She arched her eyebrow skeptically that this was the big information they could take from him; that he’s turian. Garrus just shrugged and gestured with a hand for her to pay attention as the turian on the screen continued “The next time you’re taking Miss Commander Shepard out, treat her to the fine dining every date deserves”

Both Human and Turian eyes blinked in astonishment, neither set leaving the blue screen as they processed what they’d just heard. Tentatively, Shepard hit the button again and an add for biotic amps or something along those lines played. It called her beautiful, yammered on about something then it said it again, “Next time you’re out on the town with Officer Vakarian-”

“Huh” she said, crossing her arms. She needed to think quickly, trying to decide what kind of joke or remark to follow up with. This….whatever it was, with Garrus, was new. They technically were only one night into it, and they hadn’t even had a chance to talk about it at length considering she was on her way to Alliance custody. Now it was sort of on the spot, something Garrus did not do well with. You had to carefully time any conversation so that it wasn’t taking him by surprise and you weren’t giving him too long to think or he’d bumble through his words and it would be an adorably sweet mess of a situation, really

Shepard met his eyes then, still a bit surprised but studying her too. They’d had one night of sex, yes, but it was much longer of loyalty and friendship that really bared no match. He was the first friendly face once she’d reconciled to this Cerberus mess, and he’d also followed her with little question. He’d been grumpy, dealing with his own life and resentments, but he’d been there. And, honestly, the sex was amazing too. Not in the mind-blowing-can’t-walk-tomorrow kind of way but so….normal. 

It had been awkward, of course. Trying to figure two very different bodies and how they fit together is weird even when you’re the same species, let alone figuring in chirality and all that other sciencey stuff that could make your head spin. But once that general nervousness had been broken it had been fun and comfortable; they’d joked around as though it was a natural development of their friendship. They spent just as much of the time on banter as they did on the physical side, teasing and poking fun at each other without the stress of impressing or putting on a good show for each other. They both already knew everything, there was no fears or worries; it was just them. He was her best friend on any battlefield. The logistics needed work, for sure, but there had been no question that whatever it was, it wasn’t casual. 

As though he’d heard the gears turning in her head Garrus pushed off the railing he’d been leaning on and folded his arms, “Think those amps will match Alliance prison uniforms”

She almost spit at that, laughing and feeling the tension of the situation melt as she shook her head, “probably not if they’re meant for my big date to a dextro restaurant”

“Good point. I suppose it makes sense to look your best when poisoning yourself” He nodded, his mandibles flicking with humour, “Though I could just sneak you in a chocolate bar or something”

“Oh talk about true romance. Poison and chocolate; how will I be able to patiently do my time knowing what I’m missing” she was smirking, leaning back slightly on her one foot as she looked up at him. Garrus gave a hum, the subvocal meanings lost on her human ears, “You’ll have to get by knowing I’m out here waiting for you”

Shepard blinked, taken off guard by such a statement from him, and cursing herself mentally when she realised he’d probably see her heart rate fluctuate in his visor. That’s just cheating. She’d paid attention enough to know by his body language that he wasn’t uncomfortable, and it made her smirk soften to a smile, “Promise? I’ll be expecting a real first date in that case”

His mandibles fluttered, matching her smile, “As long as you come back, I’ll give you anything you want”

It took everything in her power not to grin like a fool and keep collected, “Then I’ll be sure to wear my best amps”


End file.
